Aspen Jeter: Missing South Carolina girl, 5, FOUND SAFE weeks after mother's murder on Thanksgiving
ORANGEBURG, SOUTH CAROLINA: A 5-year-old girl who had been missing since Thanksgiving was found safe in Danville, Virginia on Friday, December 9, according to authorities. She was reported missing after her mother's dead body was discovered at their home.
The case was concerning because Aspen Jeter, the 5-year-old, suffers from a rare medical illness called Neurodevelopmental Disorder with or without Autistic Features and/or Structural Brain Abnormalities which makes her unable to speak and causes difficulty in her movement, according to her family. "Aspen is fine, and she’s okay," Orangeburg County Sheriff Leroy Ravenell announced at a news conference Friday. "Thank god for that." He called it a Christmas miracle. "Today, I've got my Christmas present early," he said.
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Sheriff's deputies arrived at a home in Orangeburg for a welfare check around noon on Thursday, November 24, where they found Crystal Jumper, Aspen's mother, shot to death and her body lying on a bed. Authorities quickly discovered that Aspen and her father, Antar Jeter, were both missing. They started a search, publicized the little girl's condition, and released pictures of her.
Deputies in Orangeburg detailed how they tracked Antar Jeter by monitoring his bank account transactions. They learned that the father and daughter were four hours away in the town of Danville, Virginia, all the way across the state. Police were finally able to locate both Antar and Aspen after obtaining an arrest warrant. "Just this morning, we obtained an arrest warrant for Mr Jeter's arrest for murder," Ravenell explained.
According to a statement from the Danville Police Department, the father is being detained on suspicion of running from the law. Extradition to South Carolina is anticipated. Ravenell said that investigators aren't exactly sure when she was killed. "Sometime before Thanksgiving Day," the sheriff said. "I'm not sure the exact day."
Justin Bamberg, a lawyer hired by Crystal Jumper's family, expressed his relief and gratitude after Aspen was found. "We can't thank you enough," he said, indicating the sheriff, his troops, and other authorities who tracked the child down. "It's a joyous moment, but it's a sad moment as well." Bamberg said the family's goal is to keep Aspen in the hands of relatives in South Carolina and away from Child Protective Services. "Aspen will not become a ward of the state," the lawyer said. "We’re going to make sure that she’s with family."